The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-01
ANOTHER PIER FIRE.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF COTTON
In tho Now York Harbor--Nenrly Four Thou.
sand isates Consumed, With n Number.
+ Of Lighters and n stoamer-I.oss y
Over n Quarter OF. u Million.

New YoRK, Feb. 2s.-At G:25 o'clock
this morning fro broke out on Pier 81,
North River, owned by the Morgan Line
Steamship company and used as dis.
charging pier for freight. Tho total loss
will be about $3.50. 1000 or 100000. Tho
fire originated on board the lighter Lo.
rena, which was moored ut the extreme
end Of tho dock. The watchman saw
smoke issuing from tho center Of pile Of
cotton on the Lorena and started TO give
the alarm. There Was no ono at tho pier
at tho time and before the watshman
reached tho alarm box the cotton on board
tho lighter was blazing iuriously and
dense clouds OF smoke were blown into
tho sheds. By tho time the firemen arriy7s.
ed the pier was blaze. On the north
aide Of the pier was the steamer Lone
Star. which collidod with tho steamer
Wells City a few weeks ago, and on tho
south side was the steamer City Of New
York. Between the Stonincton piera
on the. South side and the Union
line pier on the North side there
were moored eight lighters loaded with
cotton. The wind was blowing a furious
gale In northeasterly direction and as
the cotton on the pier caught fire the
smoke filled the streets and It was impos.
slble to SEQ any distance. Tho blaze was
beating down on the steamer Lone Star
and 1t was only a few minutes before she
was on fire. The fire patrol boat made
eeeveral attemptn to get the steamer out
from the fire. It was low tide and she y
was grounded. Three Of the Pennsylya.
MA Railroad Company's tugs helped the
patrol and at last the water was played on
her. She was towed over to the Gluten.
burg shore and left in charge Of two tugs.
She is almost totally destroyed. She was I.
btltls about twelve years ago and cost
s225 900. She has deprecated In value
since that time and the loss on her will
probably be about 100000, on which
there is no insurance. F5' T707's
& rIREMEN nEMMED IN, VI,
After tho Lone Star got out OF the way
attention waa turned to the steamer CITY
OF New York, and abe was towed into
midstream without being injured, This
was at O'Clock, and Chief McGill and
twelve Of his men had managed to reach
the end Of tho pier. They were irving to
work their way to the lighter Lorona. q,
when ona OF their number happened TO
glance behind him and in an excited man.
ner he exclaimed, "Good god, bows! We
nre hemmsd in! 7" The Chief looked in
the direction OF the street and saw that
the whole front Of the pier was ablaze and
that their means OF escape Was cut Of.
The men rushed to the side OF the pier
and got out on the string pier. Every.
minute the fire from both ends was fast
sweeping toward them. The smoke was
go suffocstfng that 1t was difficult to reach
them. The only hope for eecape was to
Jump into the water and take their
chances Of being able to swim ashore.
Chief McGill mustered his mon around
him and they played on the fire with one
eteamer which they had run onto tbs pier.
hoping that for time they would be- at
the back Of the flames. The fire euronnd-
cd the hose and 1t melted in short time.
When this gave out, Chief McG called
his men about him and said, "Boys, the
only thing for us to do now is 10 risk
swimming" 5g',. a az ,5s"0-'
u AAAstA 4bhsNQEs
Just as he was about to jump into the
water ono Of the men spied the tug boat
D. NJ. Cox and hailed her. She was
brought to the dock and Chief McGill and
his men were taken on board without anv
one being hurt. The mon were no sooner
on board the tug than word was brought
to them that Henry Wyatt, one OF the fire.
men OF the steamer Lone Star waa locked
up in the Office, which was q short dis.
tance from the entrance on the water side
OF tho pier: He wau crying loudly for
nelp. me hromen passed him an axe and
he tried to cut his way out. He was al
mcst overcome, and his efforts were very
weak. The window was pried open and
ne was dragged out in an insensble con-
oltlon.' On the dock were 1900 bales OF
cotton, and on the eight barges $500 bales,
making IN all about 1000 bales. al.
In all 3,G4O bales Of cotton wore DESTROY
ca, worth Sl60, GOO. Three Thousand bales
Of this were through cotton destined for
expectation and insured by the ehippera.
Six lighters in all we're fired and ali were
practically destroyed before the flames
were extinguished. The Lone Star !
had no steam up and was [
uAauio " eafe neIHell. Inc pier occupied
ny the Morgan line was owned by tho
city. Loss $75, 1000. 1t is known that tho
watchman, called "Blg" Harry, was on
the Lighter Loreaa when it caught fire.
He has not been seen since. There arc
many stories as to the origin Of the
fire. It is believed that the watchman's
pipe was the cause. 1t is estimated that
the total loss is about $330,OOO. IE3..
Presbyterian Minister Resigns.
CLEVELAND, Feb. .2S.-Rev. Rollo Ogden,
pastor Of the Case Avenue Presbyterian
Church, one Of the most aristoctatic in the
city, surprised bis congregation yesterday
by resigning. 1T t'Pi'lgg
In bis letter abandoning bis pulpit ho
said: My only reason lor the step is 8
change, or rather growth and maturing, OF
thanlOpfnpi nnINinun WI, L. A ,